Page 110 of Protecting Addison
“Smiley?” she asked.
“Yeah?” the gruff-looking SEAL said.
“Is your name really Jude? Jude Stark?”
He frowned in confusion. Even MacGyver wondered where in the world the question had come from.
“Yes. Why? How did you know that?”
“Your friend told me.”
“My friend? What friend?” Smiley asked.
It was Ellory’s turn to look confused. “The girl. Um…she told me her name, but I forget it now. She was here. She found me and Yana hiding. Said she’d lead the bad guy away and for us to run here, toward where everyone was searching for us.”
As far as MacGyver knew, other than Addison, there weren’t any women who’d come to search. He supposed it wasn’t outside the possibility that there was a woman who’d arrived after everyone had split up, but he wasn’t aware of any.
“Bree,” Yana said suddenly.
“That’s it!” Ellory said with a smile. “Good job, Yana. She said her name was Bree, and you were her friend. She made some noise and got the guy to chase after her. That’s when we ran back here to you guys.”
“Are yousurethat was her name?” Smiley asked, clearly stunned.
NowMacGyverwas confused. They all knew about the woman from Vegas, the one Smiley had been searching for desperately. The one who’d been sold along with Josie. But his teammate hadn’t been able to find any sign of her. How could she be in Riverton? Let alone here, at this shipyard, while they were looking for Ellory and Yana? It seemed like too much of a coincidence.
Smiley anxiously glanced around the shipyard.
“Go,” Preacher said.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes,” Kevlar answered for all of them. “If that was your Bree, you have to go.”
“Not to mention, if she led the perp away from the girls, she’s put herself in danger,” Safe added. “Now that we’ve found Ellory and Yana, a couple of us can go with you. See if we can find her.”
“No. We don’t know where this guy is, or if he’s got help. Stay here and make sure the girls remain safe. If Bree’s still here, I’ll find her.” Smiley quickly turned away and ran toward the direction the girls had come from.
Almost as soon as he was gone, there was shouting from the opposite direction. From the entrance to the shipyard.
“Come on. Let’s get you guys somewhere safer,” Flash said, gesturing toward the command center that had been hastily set up.
Addison maneuvered them so that Ellory was between her and MacGyver. He put his arm around his stepdaughter’s shoulders as he held Yana and walked toward where people were congregating.
They arrived at the same time as two former SEALs. They had a man restrained between them. He looked exactly as Ellory had described. He was cursing at the men holding him, shouting at them to let go, claiming he was just a dockworker trying to do his job. He threatened to call the police and have them all arrested for trespassing.
“Is that him?” Kevlar asked Ellory.
She nodded, her eyes huge in her face as she stared at the man with fear.
He suddenly wrenched his right arm upward, obviously surprising the man holding it, allowing him time to pivot and slam his fist into the crotch of the guy on his other side. Unprepared, the former SEAL let go. It all happened in a matter of seconds.
Instead of making a run for freedom, the asshole came straight at Ellory.
The look on his face was pure evil. Fury. Resentment.
MacGyver had put Yana down the moment the man yanked his arm free, lunging in front of Ellory and his family. He had no weapons but that didn’t matter. He’d always stand between his family and any kind of danger.
The SEALs who’d restrained him recovered immediately and sprang forward, but the man had desperation on his side. As he ran toward them, he pulled a gun and aimed.
